The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission had its opportunity to answer questions from both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees this week and a preponderance of the queries revolved around electric rates and the impact of data centers on the grid. On the subject of broadband deployment, the Commissioners did acknowledge their involvement in pole attachment disputes as a means to accelerating deployment. In response to a question regarding the impact on energy prices attributed to the escalation of military activity in and around Iran, Commission Chairman Steve DeFrank noted the importance to all utilities of preparing their networks to defend against potential cyber-attacks. The PUC has proposed a FY 26-27 state-funded budget (some of the Commission’s funding comes from federal sources) of $99,598,000, up from $96,006,000 for the current fiscal year.